Opinion

McCann FitzGerald partner Shane Fahy and knowledge lawyer Laura Farrell review a proposed ban on upward-only rent reviews in England and Wales. The UK has introduced a bill which will see a ban on upward-only rent review clauses in new commercial leases in England and Wales.

Carson McDowell solicitor Sophie Hunter examines an English court decision with implications for the accommodation of asylum seekers across the UK, including in Northern Ireland. Epping Forest District Council have secured an interim injunction requiring the owners of the Bell Hotel to stop using, o

Scotland is set to be the first jurisdiction in the UK to legislate against unqualified cosmetic practitioners, write Duncan Batchelor and Claire Raftery. In May, the Scottish Government announced plans to introduce a non-surgical cosmetic procedures bill during the current session of the Scottish P

Kennedys lawyers Gearóid Corrigan and Sinead Reilly explore a recent decision of the Supreme Court in relation to a data breach claim for distress and anxiety. Do claims for distress and anxiety resulting from a data breach require authorisation from the Injuries Resolution Board? Ireland&rsq

Dr Orla Kelleher of Maynooth University School of Law and Criminology calls on Ireland to show greater leadership and ambition on climate action. We now have daily reminders of devastating climate impacts at current levels of temperature increase, which is already approximately 1.2°C above pre-i

As a summer of horrors unfolds in Gaza, the International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute (Mark Stephens CBE, IBAHRI co-chair, Hina Jilani, IBAHRI co-chair and Baroness Helena Kennedy LT KC, IBAHRI director) asks the international community: if not now, when will it be time to act? Death, s

Anthony Fay considers how Big Tech companies like Meta could collide with Irish and EU law as they try to tackle sector-wide challenges. The first half of 2025 has been turbulent for the tech sector — marked by fines from the Irish Data Protection Commission, staffing recalibrations after pand

Eoin Jackson analyses the ICJ's landmark climate change opinion. On Wednesday this week, the International court of Justice (ICJ) released its landmark Advisory Opinion on states' obligations in respect of climate change. An Advisory Opinion is a non-binding opinion provided by the ICJ which clarifi

Matheson partner Mark O'Sullivan and solicitor Cormac Phelan examine an important Irish court ruling on the tax residence of a US company. The Court of Appeal recently affirmed a previous decision of the High Court, ruling that a disregarded US LLC was not a resident of the US for the purposes of th

Family lawyer Keith Walsh SC responds to a call in The Irish Times for greater recognition of Charles Haughey's legislative achievements, in particular the Succession Act 1965. While the debate on the legacy of Charles J. Haughey may occupy summer schools and academics from here until eternity, the

Kane Tuohy partner Triona Cody considers what HR professionals need to know about fixed-term contracts. Managing risk and avoiding legal claims is an important part of the role of HR professionals in the workplace.

Jasmine Faudone examines the detail of this month's breakthrough in post-Brexit talks surrounding Gibraltar. In the Brexit referendum held on 23 June 2016, Gibraltar recorded the strongest support for remaining in the EU, with 95.9 per cent of voters choosing to stay. Despite this objection, Gibralt

Dr Ian Marder offers thoughts on the Probation Service's newly-published restorative justice action plan. In May, the Probation Service published its Restorative Justice Action Plan for 2025-27. Subtitled Restoring Relationships: Repairing Harm and Empowering Voices through Restorative Justice, the

William Fry lawyers John O'Connor, Rachel Hayes and Conor Forde look at new EDPB guidelines on the use of blockchain and their impact on the Web3 industry. On 14 April 2025, the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) opened its public consultation on its guidelines for the processing of personal data

Hannah Unger, Demi Mullen and Carrie McMeel reflect on the first nine months of Dog Law Ireland. In August 2024, we founded Dog Law Ireland. It came together at a pivotal point in Ireland’s dog-control landscape — shortly after the announcement of Ireland’s first breed ban. This mo